Jeanette Forlano Slaw

Today marks the 44th anniversary of Earth Day. The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. More than one billion people participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

I am proud to represent a company -- Shaklee Corporation -- that has been a leader in environmental stewardship since 1956. Dr. Forrest Shaklee was a man ahead of his time with a keen love and respect for the powers of nature. He believed in and taught the absolute necessity for man to protect our environment. Click here to hear Dr. Shaklee describe his mission in his own words. From creating one of the first biodegradable cleaners (Basic H) in 1960, which was later chosen as one of the first official Earth Day products, to becoming the first company in the world to earn complete Climate Neutral certification -- offsetting 100% of our carbon emissions -- the company has stayed true to Dr. Shaklee's commitment and for 58 years, has created truly sustainable products for people and the planet -- simply because it is the right thing to do.

"Recognize that you are a product of nature and that your very existence depends upon other products of nature." Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee

In addition to making products in harmony with nature and good health, Shaklee Corporation has campaigned to plant a million trees; sponsored three North Pole expeditions to study global warming; donated environmentally friendly cleaning supplies to Jacques Cousteau's research vessels and partnered with the first Nobel Peace laureate recognized for environmental work, Wangari Maathai (2004). Click here to learn more.We've all heard or seen the phrase, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." A slightly different, more powerful version that I prefer is one that I learned from Dr. Wangari Maathai, who frequently spoke to the Shaklee family. "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Respect and Do Not Waste."

A very simple way to "reduce, reuse, recycle, respect and not waste" is to replace the household and laundry products you currently use with safe, effective, and very economical Get Clean products. The simple act of purchasing and using the products in the Get Clean Starter Kit will keep 108 pounds of packaging waste out of land fills and eliminate 248 pounds of greenhouse gas. Because the products are highly concentrated, you will save money and there will be less packaging to recycle and fewer resources required to transport the products to you. Not quite ready to purchase a starter kit? Then purchase a bottle of Basic H2 and Get Clean Spray Bottles and you'll have glass cleaner for less than a penny a bottle, all-purpose cleaner for less than three cents per bottle and degreaser for about 17 cents per bottle. (One bottle of Basic H2 equals the cleaning uses of 5,824 bottles of 26 oz. Windex -- now that's a lot of bottles!) Click here to learn more.

On a personal note . . . We live in a time where there are so many activities -- pollution, deforestation, fracking, and more that are threatening our beautiful planet earth. These issues are BIG and must be addressed if we are to have a planet to leave to our children and grandchildren. A common thread in all of these activities, is a lack of respect for our planet and not taking into account the perhaps irreversible consequences of our actions. While I realize that complicated destructive activities may require complex solution; there are many other destructive activities that require only "simple solutions" to make a big difference. I love to walk and while walking -- or driving for that matter -- I can't help but notice the amount of litter that I see accumulating on the side of roads, in parks, on beaches and more. Littering is such a simple but destructive act that can be so easily remedied -- JUST DON'T LITTER!!! It's not all that difficult to hold onto your trash until you get to the nearest trash container. I know I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but our planet earth is a beautiful, wonderful gift from God. Let's treasure that gift and do everything we can to show our appreciation to our creator by loving and taking care of our planet earth, our home; and let's teach our children and grandchildren to do the same.